Last Updated on March 27, 2024 9:12 am
BOONE, N.C. — App State Athletics will honor the legacy of Hall of Fame track & field coach and App State alumnus John Weaver with a plaza in his name at the entrance to the new Randy Marion Track & Field Facility at the Appalachian 105 Complex.
A 2021 inductee in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame and 2023 inductee in the App State Athletics Hall of Fame, Weaver was a 43-time conference coach of the year winner during his decades-long career coaching the Mountaineers.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the John Weaver Plaza will take place Friday, April 26 at 4:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend at no charge. The App State Open home track & field meet will be held April 26– 27.
“We are excited to celebrate Coach Weaver’s impact on Appalachian State University, App State Track & Field and Cross Country, and the High Country community,” Director of Athletics Doug Gillin said. “The experiences and opportunities of future App State student-athletes are possible because of the passion and commitment to excellence of Coach Weaver and the hundreds of student-athletes he mentored.”
The John Weaver Plaza will be a brick-laid plaza that will serve as an entrance and gathering place in front of the Randy Marion Track & Field Facility. The plaza will honor achievements of Mountaineer track & field and cross country student-athletes throughout program history.
Fans and friends also have the opportunity to purchase customized bricks that will be placed in the John Weaver Plaza. To purchase, visit mountaineerbricks.com or calling the customer service line at 1-833-571-0885.
The following options are available:
4″ x 8″ – $250
8″ x 8″ – $500
8″ x 8″ with logo – $1,000
16″ x 16″ with logo and replica – $5,000
Proceeds will directly benefit enhancements to App State track & field facilities.
John Weaver At A Glance
After graduating from App State in 1971 and returning to Boone in 1979 as a men's graduate assistant, John Weaver took over as the first head coach of the women's track & field and cross country program in 1982 and became the head coach for both programs in 1995 before retiring at the conclusion of the 2018 outdoor season … Inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Coaches Hall of Fame in 2021 and the App State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023 … Helped App State post 33 NCAA All-Americans, claim 78 team conference championships, win 571 individual conference titles and record roughly 1,700 all-conference performances during his time coaching men and women in track & field as well as cross country … With App State competing in both the Southern and Sun Belt conferences during his 47-year coaching career, was named a conference coach of the year 43 times and a Southeast region coach of the year three times … Coached 11 triple crowns, with either the App State men or women recording season sweeps of cross country, indoor track and outdoor track conference titles in the same academic year … Coached national champion Mary Jayne Harrelson, a two-time champ in the 1,500 meters, and two-time Olympic bronze medalist Melissa Morrison-Howard.
